Assisting your day with some touch passes?

Before I start I just need to ask, is this touch pass thing working out? Part of me thinks it's really clever, like some writers have their random thoughts or quick hitters, I have touch passes! But then again the other part of me thinks it's just a little too far out as the 1980's would say. Let me know if you are digging what I am tossing out!

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The last game of the preseason is tonight, in case anyone hadn't noticed already, and it brings a few interesting sub-plots that do not mean much, unless your a Raptors fan and your grasping at straws for interesting sub-plots. That being said, let's touch on a couple that might make this journey to Sioux Falls a little more interesting then it normally would be.

Touch Passes

He's back! Yes excitement levels are high for one Antoine Wright. For people that are new to the Raptors, or this space, no he is not our 20 ppg all-star wing that will lead us back to the promised land. No, he is not the hated villain that once was our saviour and now is our goat. Heck, he probably isn't even a starter for this team, but man, excitement levels are high.

Some will finally get a look at the man who was once an afterthought in a trade to get Jason Kidd to Dallas, then later an afterthought that would land us the Turkish beard- Hedo Turkoglu. However, he can apparently play defense, which is something we lack, and will be a strong presence on the court once games start meaning more then this spaces version of 'The View's- Hot Topics'.

It will be interesting to hear reports on how he looks on the defensive end in what I expect will be limited minutes. He has already been a presence on the practice court pushing young DeMar DeRozen with both physical and verbal abuse and hopefully it will translate to some success on the court.

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Another interesting spin-off to the heroes return will be the allocation of minutes. This being the last preseason game, coach Jay Triano will look to shore up his rotation, meaning all the regulars and subs will be getting as close to real minutes as possible.

As discussed previously, Jay likes an 8 or 9 man rotation so who's out and who's in on the wing? DeMar will start tonight, Antoine Wright will get the majority of the back-up minutes but is Jay going to let Sonny try to jump his way into the rotation? Will Belinelli get another chance to shoot his way into our hearts and minds? Stay tuned, but my bet is we get another dose of Belinelli while Weems will be the odd man out. Weems is just too similar to DeRozen, and to have a successful year we need shooting on the second line- enter Belinelli.

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Speaking of the second line, and the observation I have made that the chemistry doesn't seem right as we enter tonight's game. I had a thought, which is dangerous.

Right now the coaches want Jack to come into the game and provide instant offense. Something that Jack himself has said he is not comfortable with yet. Then you have Belinelli who is looked upon to come in the game, and find his offense through the flow of the game. Here's a thought, switch the two job descriptions. Belinelli is a natural scorer and a volume shooter that excels with more touches and minutes. Jarrett Jack is a true point guard that likes to get other involved and find his offense as the game progresses, it only seems natural that the solution to the second lines problem might be letting those two play to their strengths.

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Those who are looking forward to Reggie's return to the line-up opening night against Cleveland to battle with Anderson Varejao (which would be very fun) will undoubtedly be disappointed. Reggie is still on crutches and while there is no official word, my best guess is that he would not be available until Wednesday November 4, 2009 at home to the visiting Detroit Pistons, just before their road trip out west.

What does this mean? Well for the long-term not much, because once his foot is taken care of there should be no real lingering effects. For the short term it will hurt, but those of you who were not sold on the Delfino/Ukic for Johnson/Weems trade must concede that this is exactly why the trade was consummated. Instead of having a depleted front court that is relatively slow, methodical and weak in the rebounding department (Bosh, Bargnani, with only Nesterovic on the bench), we have a horse, in Amir Johnson who will be able to fill in admirably.

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Hey remember that Marcus Banks for Matt Carroll deal that was exciting for a day but was never brought to fruition? Well it turns out the deal ended up falling apart because the Mavericks were worried about the short-term luxury tax implications (Banks makes more this year than Carroll) rather than the long-term savings the deal would have provided. It's a shame too, because with the shaky preseason Belinelli has had, another shooter coming off the bench could really pay dividends.

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I saw a headline the other day that Shaq wants a television show once he is done playing and a few things came to mind. Shaq versus? That doesn't count? In that case, then no kidding! Unfortunately the Big Aristotle has become the Big Media Prostitute in his elder years.

The other thought was, Shaq is still playing? I thought he was at least semi-retired...

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Is anyone else starting to think that Stephen Jackson might be quickly becoming a modern day Latrell Sprewell?

For his sake I hope not because he can be a heck of a player at times.

- J.Moore